SPY (2015)

I have to admit that I have a deep love for the comedy of Melissa McCarthy. It took me a long time for her to grow on me but grown on me she has.

Spy is her Magnum Opus. I laughed out loud on many occasions and I rarely do that. One of the neat tricks of the script is to have her continually hooked up to her 'handler' so we get the back and forth conversation between spy and command center while the mission is going on. All great stuff for fresh comedy and for making fun of the spy genre. But this is not just a spoof. It is also a top notch action adventure. The genius is that it works as all these things.

The mission du jour takes McCarthy all over Europe where she has to be smarter than everyone around her to prevent a nuclear bomb from being sold. The story is not important. It's only a vehicle to show off McCarthy's amazing range as a comic performer. I thought the whole time that this is the kind of performance that the Oscars should award if they valued comedy. Comedy is a delicate thing to get right especially with all the other elements of the movie competing with it, but McCarthy holds everything together. I suspect the director just let her do her thing and not get in her way. It's a nice balancing act she walks between comedienne and action star. She performs one of the best girl on girl fight scenes since Kill Bill and I believed it all.

Now the real gem here is Jason Statham here as FORD, the most intense spy of all time. He has gone rogue and keeps showing up on her mission and steals each and every scene he is in. He's more pain in the ass than a help. He gives as good as he gets and the comedic chemistry between the two here is irresistible. Is he the real deal or are all his outlandish spy stories just bullshit? I love that I can never tell and that Statham GETS the joke and plays the madness for all it's worth. Full retard and bless him for it. Best Supporting Actor in a comedy this year.

Perfect casting is the hallmark of this film. Add to that a confident (but hilariously improvised) script that believes in it's leading lady to get the job done. Hell, I started to believe she could do it, despite all the barriers the 'Agency' and the mission puts in front of her. Her various fake identities are a cool running joke as is the great physical comedy that McCarthy can deliver.

I also have to mention her fellow agent Nancy (Miranda Hart) and Italian lothario, Aldo (Peter Serafinowicz). Another couple of scene stealing performances from two terrific supporting characters and a great cameo by 50 Cent. This one will leave you giggling throughout.

Probably the funniest film I have seen all year and the best spy movie since Kingsmen.

Despite having solid field training, CIA analyst Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) has spent her entire career as a desk jockey, working hand-in-hand with dashing agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law). Using high-tech equipment and a hidden earpiece, Susan is the guardian angel who helps Bradley avoid danger.… More However, when Bradley is assassinated by Bulgarian arms dealer Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne), Susan wrangles her way into her first undercover assignment to help capture Boyanov and avenge Bradley.